Clare Joyce Quish
Clare Joyce Quish

Name: Clare Joyce Quish

Age: 43

Party: Democratic

Current residence: Chicago

Current position: Cook County circuit judge, appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court

Past legal experience: Partner and senior associate, Schuyler Roche & Crisham P.C., 2009-16; associate, Crisham & Kubes Ltd., 2007-09; adjunct professor of appellate advocacy, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2004-05; judicial law clerk to 1st District Appellate Court Justice Mary Jane Theis, 2000-07

Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $103,084.06

Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $66,588.38

Law school: Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2000

Campaign website: electjudgequish.com

Family: Single

Hobbies/interests: Traveling, spending time with my niece and nephews and watching Northwestern football

Have you ever run for office before?

No.

Why should voters support your candidacy?

Since the Illinois Supreme Court appointed me to the bench in June 2016, I have handled several high-volume courtrooms, presided over numerous bench trials and evidentiary hearings and decided a wide range of dispositive motions in my assignments within the 1st Municipal Division at the Daley Center. Prior to my appointment, I served as a lawyer for 16 years — as a judicial law clerk, adjunct professor of appellate advocacy, and associate and then partner at two law firms with a litigation and appellate practice. I also served as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Committee for Character and Fitness for the 1st Judicial District, where I investigated, interviewed and assessed the character and fitness of bar applicants seeking to practice in Illinois. I have been found “Qualified” or “Recommended” to serve as a judge by all 12 of the reviewing bar associations and have the support and endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Party, the Chicago Federation of Labor and many state and local elected officials and community leaders.

Why do you want to be a judge?

I love my job as a judge and feel honored to serve. I strive to ensure that everyone who appears before me, both lawyers and self-represented litigants, has a chance to be heard. I take my job seriously and understand that the decisions I make have real effects on the lives of the parties before me as well as their families and communities. I hope to continue to work hard for the citizens of Cook County as a judge on the circuit court and endeavor to serve the public every day with compassion, humility and integrity.

What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?

One of my most interesting cases involved representing a large company which leased advertising space on a rooftop overlooking Wrigley Field. On the eve of a nationally televised Cubs game, the lessor breached the lease by covering the ad with a brown tarp. The resulting litigation, including a temporary restraining order, several lawsuits and appeals, involved complex legal issues concerning injunctive relief and appellate jurisdiction.

What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?

My greatest career accomplishment is my appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court as a judge on the Circuit Court of Cook County.

What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?

In my 19 months on the bench, I have worked hard every day to be prepared, on time, and to fairly apply the law to the facts and evidence presented in each case. I work expeditiously and efficiently to handle my high-volume docket while also providing each litigant with a fair and impartial hearing. I strive to treat everyone who comes before me with dignity and respect.